Express receipt holder



1 June 24, 1947. A. J. HOPKINS EXPRESS RECEIPT HOLDER Filed July 26, 1945 I N V EN TOR. CZZfreai (IA v Patented June 24, 1947 EXPRESS RECEIPT HOLDER Alfred J. Hopkins, River Forest, 111., assignor to Gaw-OHara Envelope Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 26, 1945, Serial No. 607,245

This invention relates to holders or containers adapted to carry shipping receipts, invoices and the like, and to be attached to a package, envelope or other shipping container to which the invoice or receipt relates.

The customary practice now followed in the shipment of articles and commodities by express is to paste on the package a, removable receipt to be signed by the recipient and also another sticker or stamp or stencil giving the name and ad-' dress to which the package is being sent.

The primary purpose of my present invention is to simplify the addressing of a package and the sending of the receipt by utilizing the receipt upon which the name and address of the recipient appears as the address on the package.

With this end in View, my invention contemplates the provision of a container in the form of a fiat folder designed to contain an'invoice, if desired, and also the express receipt carrying the name and address of the addressee, which is exposed to view through a window in the front wall of the container. When the package is delivered the expressman rips open the container, removes the express receipt and obtains thereon the signature of the recipient. In this manner the procedure both at the sending and receiving ends is greatly simplified.

Other advantageous features of my invention will be appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved holder applied to the face of an envelope or package, a fragment only of which is shown;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the rear face of the sheet from which the holder is formed; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the holder before being closed and applied to the package.

On the drawing, reference character 5 indicates a fragment of a package or envelope the contents of which constitute an express shipment. My improved holder, which is applied to one face of such package, is indicated generally by reference character 6.

The holder is formed from a single sheet of fibrous material cut to form the walls I and 8, the sheet being folded along a median line 9 to provide a flat holder between the walls of which 2 Claims. (01. 229'72) may be positioned the express receipt and, if desired, the invoice of the package contents.

The receipt, which is designated by reference character II, has been provided prior m lts introduction into the folder with the name and address of the recipient which is so positioned on the receipt as to be exposed through a window i2 provided in one wall of the folder and constitutes the address for the package. The window opening is closed by a strip or patch I3 of glassine or other transparent material.

The wall 6 is shaped to provide a flap [4 and flaps i5 and I6, all of which project beyond the confines of the wall 8 and afford provision whereby'the folder may be attached to the package. For this purpose the flaps may be provided on their faces to be attached with an adhesive I! in the form of envelope gum, or, if preferred, the whole area of the folder including the attaching face of the wall t may be provided with gum or paste either at the time the container is made or just before it is applied to the package. The folder accordingly provides a container for the express receipt which also serves as the address for the package and, if desired, an invoice may also be included with the receipt in the folder before the container is attached to the package.

It will be observed from the drawings that one corner of the wall 8 is shaped to provide an extension !8 which, when the container is applied to the package, extends upwardly and outwardly from the juncture of the flaps l4 and I5. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 3, the end margins of the wall 8 are provided with an adhesive strip, as indicated at l9 and2l, for attachment of this wall to the wall I to thereby close the container. In some instances, however, these lines of gumming may be omitted and the gumming of the flaps l5 and [6 to the package will be relied upon for sealing the holder and retaining the receipt l I in position to present the address for observation through the window l2. Whether or not the wall 8 is gummed to the wall I along its ends, there is left adjacent the juncture of the flaps l4 and IS an ungummed area where said walls are not secured together. A slit or opening is thereby provided into which the point of a pencil may be inserted for the purpose of opening the holder. The wall I is also weakened along a, score line 22 extending from the ungummed area transversely of the holder near the end thereof. By inserting a pencil, as previously explained and as illustrated in Fig. 1, the holder may be readily ripped open along the score line 22, thus affording access to the contents of the holder, including the receipt which can be withdrawn by the expressmanand presented to the recipient for signature. The holder carrying the receipt, and the invoice if desired, remains sealed during transit and until ripped open by the expressman upon delivery of the package.

My invention, its advantages and the economies in time and material resulting from its employment, should be appreciated from the foregoing without further description, and the fact should also be apparent that the size, shape and proportions of the details illustrated may be varied within considerable limits without exceed-ing the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An envelope type holder of the character de scribed, comprising a single, generally rectangular sheet of fibrous material cut and folded along a medial line to provide a front wall and a rear wall each of generally rectangular shape, said front wall having marginal portions at its free edges extending beyond the corresponding marginal edges of the rear wall along the three edges constituting the free edge perimeter of the rear wall except for a relatively short distance at one free edge corner, said rear wall, at said corner, having a marginal part projecting outwardly beyond the front wall, the rear faces of said front wall marginal portions, except for a distance corresponding to said short distance at said corner, and the rear faces of the marginal edges of the rear wall about its perimeter including said projecting marginal part, being gummed for attachment to another object, said front wall having a weakened line extending substantial distance from a point adjacent to said corner, along one of its marginal edges and inside of its gummed margin,

2. An envelope type holder of the character described, comprising a single generally rectangular sheet of fibrous material cut and folded along a, medial line to provide a front wall and a rear wall each of generally rectangular shape, said front wall having marginal portions at its free edges extending beyond the corresponding marginal edges of the rear wall along substantially all of the free edge perimeter of the rear wall except at one corner formed by the juncture of two free edges, said rear wall, at said corner and for a relatively short distance along each edge of the front wall marginal portions from the apex of said corner, having a marginal part projecting outwardly beyond the front wall, the rear faces of said front wall marginal portions, except for that portion thereof which traverses said rear wall marginal projecting part, and the rear faces of the marginal edges of the rear wall about its perimeter including said projecting marginal part, being gummed for attachment to another object, said front wall having a, weakened line extending a substantial distance from a point adjacent to said place, along one of its marginal edges and inside of its gummed margin toward said medial line of folding.

ALFRED J. HOPKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,099,007 Elmore Nov. 16, 1937 2,310,371 Lines et al Feb. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 662 Great Britain Feb. 14, 1880 

